Punk

Mutation – Mutation III: Dark Black Review

Mutation – Mutation III: Dark Black Review

“Ginger Wildheart has had an interesting career. Achieving mild commercial success with the pop/rock band The Wildhearts, he’s expanded his repertoire to include “power pop” (Hey! Hello!), folk music (,b>Ghost in the Tanglewood) and latterly a noise rock and metal project (Mutation).” Jack of all trades, Wildheart of some.

Tutti I Colori Del Buio – Initiation Into Nothingness Review

Tutti I Colori Del Buio – Initiation Into Nothingness Review

“One of the most intriguing aspects of metal music is the incredible breadth of its various influences and styles. In fact, there are so many subgenres that some websites (mapofmetal.com) are entirely dedicated to their explanation and catalogue. This week I was introduced to another type of extreme music in the form of powerviolence. Characterized by hyper-aggressive, super-fast riffage and anti-establishment lyrics and themes, I have learned through experience that powerviolence is an excellent way to scare off potential dates and traumatize small children.” Will no one think of the children?

Cara Neir – Perpetual Despair Is the Human Condition Review

Cara Neir – Perpetual Despair Is the Human Condition Review

“For those who love the bizarre black/grind/punk that vocalist Chris Francis and multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents have been producing since Cara Neir’s 2008 inception, Despair, has been a hotly anticipated record indeed. So turn off the lights, grab some white wine, and get ready to sulk in the corner as we explore the hopelessness of Perpetual Despair Is the Human Condition.” Does white wine even go with existential angst?

Abigail – The Final Damnation Review

Abigail – The Final Damnation Review

“Remember that awesome review of BarbatosStraight Metal War a year ago? Remember those silly lyrics and song titles? Remember checking out all the bands referenced because you’re a sick son of a bitch? Well, here’s Abigail, another one of Yasuyuki Suzuki’s sick and twisted metal outfits.” Have a bad taste in your mouth? Just wait….

Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us Review

Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us Review

“There’s a lot of hype building up to You Will Never Be One of Us, the third full-length by Southern Californian powerviolence trio Nails. Known for being unrelenting in their seething anger, both 2010’s Unsilent Death and 2013’s cataclysmic Abandon All Life garnered the trio an army of loyal followers, and rightfully so. There’s no fluff, no compromise, and no bullshit when it comes to their militaristic approach.” Powerviolence is a real thing.

Kvelertak – Nattesferd Review

Kvelertak – Nattesferd Review

“Oh, Kvelertak. Five years ago and hot on the heels of their 2010 self-titled debut, it seemed the Norwegian sextet were the subject of every third MetalSucks post, and their wild live shows were the stuff of legend. In a metal scene curdling from years of cvlter-than-thou extremity, the group’s insanely catchy combination of blistering black metal, hooky arena rock, and party-hard attitude not only appeased metalheads with a repressed desire to let loose and rock out, but also broke through to listeners who seldom dipped their toes in the insular metal blogosphere.”

Sektemtum – Panacea Review

Sektemtum – Panacea Review

“I’ll be honest: as a reviewer, I often don’t care how original a band is. Give me a thousand groups like Nails, who take a well-tread style and play it damn well, over any wacky group that artificially cobbles together disparate influences in vain pursuit of originality. To me innovation is something that should result from a band playing the music they love and want to hear, not an end goal in itself. And that’s exactly why I find Sektemtum’s sophomore LP Panacea so refreshing – not because it isn’t original, but because it seems to achieve originality without really trying that hard.” There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.